A food truck’s POS has to survive a parking lot with no Wi-Fi, a generator that browns out, a twelve-hour festival day, and a line that does not stop. Then it has to fit in a drawer. The Clover Flex does all of that, and it is the device we send out with most trucks. This page is the setup and the settings that keep it running.
The setup
| Item | Choice | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| POS | Clover Flex Gen 4 | Battery, LTE, printer, camera; runs the whole menu |
| Second window | Second Flex | Same account and menu |
| Receipts | Printed from the Flex, or text and email on a Flex Pocket | Pocket is lighter, no printer |
| Cook’s view | Kitchen printer or Kitchen Display inside the truck | For trucks where the cook cannot see the window Flex |
| Charging | Dock in the truck on inverter power; a second battery-charged Flex for long days | 8-hour rating; a 14-hour festival needs a swap or a dock break |
| Pre-orders | Clover Online Ordering page | Post the link before events |
| Cash | Cash drawer optional; many trucks use a lockbox and log cash sales on the Flex | Cash sales recorded for reporting |
The Flex’s full specs are on the Clover Flex page.
Connectivity and offline mode
The Flex connects over LTE by default. Enable offline payments in the Clover dashboard before you need them, set a per-transaction limit, and the Flex keeps taking cards when the signal drops, submitting them when it returns. Two rules: offline transactions are not authorized until they sync, so the limit should be an amount you can afford to lose on a declined card; and refunds need a live connection. Full detail on Clover offline mode.
Menu for a window
Few items, big buttons, modifiers for the choices that matter (protein, spice, sides, drinks), combos as one tap. Sold-out toggles for the item that runs out at 1pm. Daily specials as a category you edit from the dashboard on your phone.
Tips
Tip prompt on the Flex screen at tap; presets by amount for small tickets rather than percentages. Tips report per shift for payout to the crew.
Dual pricing at the window
The Flex shows the cash total and the card total; the customer picks. A sign at the window and a line on the menu board disclose it. On a $12 order the difference at 3.99% is 48 cents. A truck doing $25,000 a month in cards keeps about $700 a month that a processor would take. The rules and the comparison with a surcharge are on dual pricing on Clover.
Cost
Flex placed at no charge for qualifying trucks, or purchased; never leased. Software: Counter Service plan at $59.95 a month, or Essentials at $14.95 for a simple menu with no online ordering. Processing $0 under dual pricing or interchange-plus. Month to month. The Flex ships pre-programmed with the menu loaded; a 15-minute call gets the crew running.